This $1.7B Railway Is U.S.’s First Challenge to China in Africa | WSJ Breaking Ground
The $1.7 billion U.S.-backed Lobito Corridor Project aims to revitalize a rail system from Angola to the Democratic Republic of Congo, securing vital mineral supply chains essential for EV batteries and other green tech. It's a key move in the U.S.’s pushback against China's Belt and Road initiatives in Africa, reflecting its growing foreign policy focus on the continent.
WSJ explores the railway megaproject and examines the high-stakes battle between the U.S. and China for economic influence in Africa.
Chapters:
0:00 Economic influence in Africa
0:41 Lobito Corridor Project
2:47 China’s Belt and Road Initiative
4:07 U.S. engagement
5:24 What this means for Africa’s future
Breaking Ground digs into megaprojects around the world, uncovering what these developments might mean for the surrounding region and the ultimate costs.
#China #Africa #WSJ
Read more about how this railway project is helping the U.S. derail China’s influence in Africa: on.wsj.com/3Q9XabD
WSJ could've done well to actually interview an Angolan for this? makes it seem as if you're very much taking the neo-colonial route i guess. not a good look for your brand
Chinese don’t view infrastructure building by anyone else as zero sum game Or else they would not have passed on their HSR tech to Indonesia after building their HSR line
1:49 US debt trap
1:49 US debt trap
少说话，多做事。指责，谩骂，印刷美元无法改变非洲，非洲需要实业，而不是政客的口号。
4 out of 6 minutes of some white dudes talking China-US relations instead of actually talking about the railway project. Joke of a video.
Thanks for the racist third worlder perspective. The real problem with this video is that it doesn't go into how we're wasting more money on other countries instead of building up the border wall on the Mexican border and deporting tens of millions of illegals.
You mean colonizer.
@@westside213 i just want to hear from some Angolans working on the project not a British professor.
@@gabrieldsouza6541 fair enough but WSJ is a globalist propaganda rag so you'll only hear from globalist bankers and NGO "experts". They hate the people who actually do the work.
Slava 🇹🇼
an african news stroy without interview a single African people?
I wonder why? 🤔
They never bring the countries they want to exploit into the conversation.
It's all propaganda. The West does not care about Africa it's rather oblivious.
Good news How to collect money for the project
After their Minerals Uncle Sam
Since when did the US show ANY interest in building infrastructure in Africa? What's funny every documentary that the WSJ does on China they never interview someone from the Chinese point of view.
Rare minerals are in Africa. It's not hard to do a little bit of researching. Rare minerals for EVs and next generation technology. Every superpower wants a piece of the pie. China loves exploiting other countries resources until it's extinct and then moving on to another country.
Or people on the ground implementing the policy
When China come out of its external forces, aka a century of humiliation, internal turmoils, and then they opened up for businesses in late of 1970s, do all kind of diplomatic relationships and businesses and trades around the world, then the U S and its Allies are taking notices. After all, the Chinese go into any country to do busineses and trades but not to interfere in the locals' governments. Most importantly, they purchase the raw materials from the countries they doing businesses they have relationship with, they don't go to bomb, overthrow the government and then take the raw materials for free.
What do you think China is going to say? The usual “this is great for our mutual friendship, what environmental concerns? Never head of human rights and uigurs…” I don’t need a propaganda point of view use your brain
When it’s good business since, that’s what works for US contractors for a business since . 5:28
USA to build Railroads, Ports and Roads? More like USA will build Bases, Bars and Brothels instead.
1:49 US debt trap 😂
1:49 US debt trap 😂
This is just NONSENSE and talk. They AREN'T going to build ANYTHING. The railway is ALREADY built and maintainence and EXPANSION are in Chinese hands.
Slava TSMC 🇹🇼
@Booz2010 Taiwan and Ukraine are both rebelling territories that should be returned to their owners.
Could WSJ tell Us government to save their own crumbling railway first? What a Pathetic report and government policy.
its not like Angola needs a high speed line. It just needs a reliable line. The European companies involved are the best in rail line construction, the US is just financing
Chinese don’t view infrastructure building by anyone else as zero sum game Or else they would not have passed on their HSR tech to Indonesia after building their HSR line
We can fix ours later. There is a deadline in Africa
@@vooteimer1234 please ask the American taxpayers whether they wanna save Africa first. Africa has a deadline? Since when US started to care about Africa?
@@yeetian2774 what part of "loan" don't you understand ?
Chinese Builders, American Bombers.
Don’t discount China’s recent history of illegal wars, occupations, regime change, and proxy wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, etc.
Yea China has built a lot of concentration camps for sure.
China builds so much because they have to constantly rebuild their collapsing tofu buildings
@@juanspyro4658 it take the US 20 years to build back that half broken Baltimore bridge even hiring hispanics won't do the trick. Lol
@@juanspyro4658 and the US government lies and can't even fix basic pot holes lol
I see white dudes talking. Can we please have an Angola person actually chime in on the actual situation?
No ! It has to be a white dude . Angola and China should ask his opinion before doing business.
they can't because the media won't like it
Well said and well OBSERVED
US is just talking. Can you really tell us how many km railroad they built? how much money they really put in, not just "promise" to put in?
WSJ IS A BS FAKE NEWS AND LIES AND PROPAGANDA 😃👍‼️
American promise is a joke 🤣
US IS BROKE. THE FAST DYING EMPIRE.
as the saying goes, "I hear thunder, but i do not see rain." how about Build Back Better World? or the Spice Corridor from India to Israel?
more money for israel
Don't most African countries hold more debt at higher interest rates to American and European firms?
Yes but we don't talk about that. Just like how the most valuble mines in wartorn DRC are owned by Canadian companies but we pretend they are all owned by Chinese firms.
Usury, (((who))) created that?
@@mamotalemankoe3775 The west ignorance/propaganda at its finest😂
They do - th west pays 0.8% and Africa pays 20%
While in the last 23 years the US government has focused on wars, the Chinese government has been busy improving their country infrastructure while gaining influence in Africa and Latin America.
"Gaining influence" is a strong phrase for literally exploiting MULTIPLE foreign countries RESOURCES for Chinas own good! And leaving countless people to suffer. They do it in Africa, Philippines, and they even have their hands in South America. Stop acting like China is doing all this for "good" causes.
Precisely. China has focused on DEVELOPMENT and WIN strategy. There's NO MYSTERY.
Really you are a "wumao". "As of September 30, 2008, PEPFAR was supporting life-saving antiretroviral treatment for more than two million people living with HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa. When the President announced PEPFAR in 2003, only 50,000 people in all of Sub-Saharan Africa were receiving antiretroviral treatment."
Are you planning to move to China? It's such a paradise after all!
Don't even try replying in the comments. If it's anti-China, it'll just get taken down
As an African, It's astonishing that in a video discussing a critical Angolan issue, not a single Angolan was given the opportunity to share their perspective. This oversight is glaring and undermines the authenticity of the narrative.
Cause this procjet is to milk the ressource out of Africa. Both China and US just want the ressource and that has no benefits to Africans. It's better that we refine in Africa and sell it for the market value instead of sending it to other countries cause we don't what the contract is or can read it online.
us haven't build trains at home, why does it think it can do it in Africa
its called Murican Dream, just a dream without reality
not only that, that project is vulnerable ... any small misunderstanding those AFRICAN STATES will kick US out, yesterday NIGER did the same, in TCHAD... US is on hot seat. nobody fear US anymore.
😅😂🤣@@Shadowless_Kick
The funniest part is a great numbers of US railroad were build by the Chinese workers.
It says the Europeans will build it, not the Americans.
USA also lending. Thought uncle Sam was calling this debt trap!
so is the debt trap bad or not?
@@MayorMcC666 US good,China bad.
Depends on if you are American or not
China is not de8t trapping tho and also the US will use violence to get what it wants
They already have imf for that
Bcos US is sore abt China winning and now wants to spoil things for China. 😂😂😂😂😂
They’re too late! While they focused on war and bullying, China focused on infrastructure and now the US is panicking. 😅
I recently got back from East Africa, and the only thing American was the Boeing plane that took me there and few iPhones.the the cars were Japanese And everything else Chinese
Boeing will kill us. So many problems with US Boeing
Slava TSMC 🇹🇼
The cars will be also Chinese in 10 years.
@@york163 who is the toyota of the chinese market?
@@vinicio1089byd or wuling
10 derailments a year is extraordinary in a positive sense, if you look at the US there were about three per day last year...
Yeah right, when China did the rebuild, the railway was crumbling, and when American money came in, unlike Chinese a debt trap and exploitation, it will make everything and everyone better. Btw, Tanzania-Zambia Railway built by China in the 70s is still operating normally, so guess who's fault that the railway rebuild did not work.
Exactly and the US will voliance to get what it wants
Guys, use proper english
@@Dk-hu5je1:49 US debt trap 😊
WHy TF is America worrying about OTHER COUNTRIES INFRASTRUCTURE. FIX OURS FIRST
Look up the infrastructure bill. Get some education for once.
@@Dave05J Tell me what significant infra has been done with that infrastructure bill? Nada... Only powerpoints only. Lo..
US cities looks like village when compared with Chinese cities @@Dave05J
They are not worried. They just want to steal the raw goods for their economy.
@@Dave05J 1 triliion for 10years, so around +100 billion/year. While your military budget almost exceed 1 trillion per year😂😂
China: Bullet Train USA: Bullet Brain
"As of September 30, 2008, PEPFAR [ President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief] was supporting life-saving antiretroviral treatment for more than two million people living with HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa. When President Bush announced PEPFAR in 2003, only 50,000 people in all of Sub-Saharan Africa were receiving antiretroviral treatment."
Slava TSMC 🇹🇼
@@Booz2020slava palestine? Maybe its time for the US to stop funding the israel and ACCEPT PALESTINE TO ENTER THE UN
@@goutvols103 And with fakeccines!
Because bullet and train are two incompatible words in the US. They associate these two words as a mass shooting in a train instead of associating with a highspeed train.
It is a joke when "US" and "railway" come together.
1:49 US debt trap
😙😗😗
“Battle over an African railway”? You meant, China builds it, the US bombs it? And see who can do it better and faster? Of course the US would always win. Bravo! 😂
talkin abt crumbling railways maybe America shouls ask China to build railways in the US
Let me guess... this won't be called a "debt trap"!?
It will be called GREEN INVESTMENT 😅😅
the US should fix your own railway first.
The railroad is being built. The Chinese government are WAY AHEAD both POLITICALLY and FINANCIALLY. African GOVERNMENTS and people can SEE the results of China's economic policy
The railroad that the communist Chinese built is falling apart.
Past US involvement in Angola was to fight against USSR, and to date it is to stop Chinese influence. Infrastructural development is anathema to US. Dilapidated and embarrassingly wonky railways across the US testify to this fact. If current desperation for rare minerals push the US to invest in Angola’s railways, they make sure it is used only for the purpose of mineral extraction, lest Angola takes advantage of it for economic development.
We need to build modern HSR in America before focusing on helping Africa. China has tens of thousands of miles while we have a few dozen…
China is 14,000 miles USA is 50 to 70’miles depending on what your definition of HSR is
@@DW-op7lyit's more than 45.000 km or 30.000 miles now!! They plan to build another 30.000 km in the next decade!!
@@DW-op7ly China actually has over 20000 miles. In America, it’s 125mph (200kmh) but I believe we should adhere to the common international standards at 155mph (250kmh). America is falling behind in so many categories right now.
@RespectLoveUnityPeace Meanwhile, China is working on upgrading their high-speed train from 350km to 450km.
Thanks for the updated numbers
In other words, it has nothing to do with Africans but rather economic interests competition eith China.
Ask Google - In the USA. For the majority of 2023 the total number of train accidents increased slightly to 4,845, including more than 600 deaths. When comparing 2022 and 2023, the total number of derailments declined about 2.6% - but there were still nearly three derailments a day nationwide.3...!
Note that China is building infrastructure, in China, like craze -- USA should take that cue and build its own domestic infrastructure, which is crumbling.
China's railroads and high speed rail systems are really as spectacular as I've ever seen.
China: One Belt One Road USA: One Bomb One Road
Here in the US, we need to build up and fix plus update and upgrade our own railways and infrastructure first
1:49 US debt trap 😂
It's not just help, it's an investment to get access to minerals for the EV industry. But yeah, you need to invest in your infrastructure as well.
For those of you who agree with me on the comment I made, I’m willing to invite you all to stand with me, we’re stronger if we all stand together in support of
no u need to fund proxy wars why u need railways?
So it's not okay to China to put its resources in Africa but it's okay for US how it is any different
1:26 10 derailments a year extraordinary... Meanwhile in the USA: over 1,300 per year in the last decade
The Copperbelt is in Zambia, please do you research before sharing otherwise that’s ignorance.
Precisely well said and well OBSERVED ❤
@@petergreen5337and we look upto these countries interms of education but failing to research and post right information
Copperbelt is in Zambia and Congo DRC ist 2 largest copper producer in the World after chile
Another China and Africa joint cooperation 👍👍👍👍👌👌💪💪💪
China has been building Rail ways on the Continent of Africa for the last 200 years.
Good thing the Europeans are building it. God help Africa if America starts building infrastructure over there. Ever seen the rail lines we Americans are trying to build in California? Huge Cost overruns, decades long delays, endless debates, and it's still not open. YOU DO NOT WANT AMERICA BUILDING INFRASTRUCTURE, but we are really good at destroying infrastructure.
We can't even build a dam railroads. But we do have money to throw around that other can't resist.😂
The US has the best railway system in the world. The problem is that they dont use it for people, only for freight. So the US actually as a valid partner in this field
@@andir7374really? Metro lines in China alone are almost unmatchable to that of US railway system
@@k-studio8112 the US has the most extensive rail lines in the world !
@@andir7374 best railway with 3 derailment per day. I would say it is badly maintain too in the US.
@@andir7374 Pathetic standards, you call that best when US has average train derailment of 1300. Lol. It's the largest train network because it counts those dilapidated third world rail lines. Not to mention the electrification rate of the US rail lines is so akin to a thrid world one. Much more like a third world rate masked with gucci just to make a pretty face. Lol.
Learn from China
The question is why Angola is still poor with all these minerals. Who benefit here . 🤔
They mention getting cobalt supply from the Congo but don't mention the horrendous conditions those people work in , we need to have a better way smh
Improving infrastructure would mean that the supply lin wold become more simplified, which would lt th operations be run with more oversight by larger companies. That would likely significantly improve the working conditions.
they choose to work in the mines because it’s better pay than farming. no one is forcing them to mine cobalt.
Or the civil wars The CIA caused from the sixties to 00s JUST prevent access to these VERY MINERAL RESOURCES.
@@gabrieldsouza6541 i remember a 15 yr old kid walking up to me and telling me she wanted to be in a relationship with me so i got it on camera and allat, made her sign a waiver and everything, which she did of her own volition....she said i looked better than all the boys in her class which is why she did it...nobody forced her aftrerall so it's alright ig🤡🤡🤡
incase any mentally challenged person cannot tell, it's sarcasm
Africa will go with China not bullies.
they both bad
@@kwabenasakyi Us is worse
No different from IMF loans.
IMF loans don’t seize ports and mines when countries don’t pay😂 china on the other hand..
China has not seized ports or mines If your taking the port in Sri Lanka the Chinese company that took over has invested even more money in the area
@@levismith7444IMF loans don't seize your assets, only the Western MNCs will do that!! Hahaha.. hahaha.. hahaha..
@levismith7444 .. Having previously employed Economic Hitmen, do you think they will stop there? Clandestine moves in tandem with corporations/(CIA) is their Forte.
It does my heart good to see America succeed where the competition (China) fails. Probably because out stuff works as intended and is built to last.
Read a lot of comments. The USA is not building the rails, it the Europeans. USA will just help fund the process so USA expertise or lack of in building rail isn’t in question here
Why dont you do a progress report on all the Build Back Better World projects launched by USA and G7?
JA JA JA
Meanwhile, US rail infrastructure at home is falling apart...
Soon Angola will need democracy and liberation. You watch
😂I don't think this is true, Angola was just sanctioned by the United Sn@kes of America...If it's true, they will soon regret it
It is true
POOR JOURNALISM
I don't think you can call it journalism. Just saying.
It’s unfortunate that the US only started really investing in Africa after already taking so much during colonialism because of competition with China. Also, is anyone going to talk about the child slavery happening in the Congo over mining the cobalt??
Key words. Vital minerals. The U.S has been exploiting Congo for its minerals despite saying it would ban minerals dug up by child labour. Many other countries also exploit the labour force mining minerals that are used in cellphones, laptops and vehicles. Basically the U.S is trying to boost its Africa ties to secure more minerals and cut China, Chile and Peru out of the equation. One report by the United States Institute of Peace says that "To counter China's head start in Africa, Washington must roll out "more vigorous commercial diplomacy with a keen eye toward building critical minerals partnership in Africa,"
Good report. But at 1:26, saying the stations weren't well built is questionable. Perhaps they weren't? I conjecture they weren't well maintained~
I dont understand the playing up the saddling africa with debt point. Africa being unable to repay the loans sounds like a china problem, not an africa problem.
True for in general but China doesn't extend the debt payment period instead they take over assets like ports airports etc, and used for their purpose mainly Military.
They have to pay back their loans, else they will never receive any more loans from countries or the World Bank, which is essential for them.
@@Mohan-jd8fc that fact goes right over people’s heads
@@Mohan-jd8fcYeah sure never saw Chinese Navy Ships in Hambantota Port
@@levismith7444 nonsense. They have restructured many debts and forgiven numerous loans. Their interest rates are also lower than IMF's and world bank's. A significant amount of African debts are owed to westerners.
There is NO WAY congress would appropriate this kind of money for Africa, and private companies would NEVER touch it.
When was the last time that anyone knows about “a successful US sponsored infrastructure project” anywhere in the world? US can’t do it in their own homeland. How can they do it anywhere else?
So why they are building railway lines to where minerals are extracted? We don’t think same thing like during colonisation period
Has US built any railway in the last 50 years?
But US tired down lots of those
‘’After we leave, they will build schools and hospitals for you, and increase your wages. This is not because they have a conscience, nor because they have become good people, but because we have been here.”
Lol to anyone actually thinking that either Angola or DR Congo will maintain that railway- which was the reason why the US and its allies are intervening right now.
Comparing China and USA railway is only in west propaganda, in realty China is 100 years ahead
Angola is going to win! The whole US v China is blow out of proportion and we already fought and defeated American Imperialism together with the Cubans. America has come back around and Angola needs the money and expertise while allowing for the US to maintain some sort of leverage in that corner of the world. Everywhere else it is being kicked out. As stated the Chinese built the original railroad. The US is simply making a 200 million investment to revamp and connect it to neighboring countries which should mean more money, peace and stability in the region.
China's lending to Africa is peanuts compared to the IMF and World Bank and Western private financial institutions. It's time to help Africa develop at the trade-off not helping US develop via it's Build Back Better. East Palestine could do with some help in fixing it's rail track too.
Yea let’s see how long that railway is gonna stay as PowerPoint slides before the US outsources the construction to a Chinese company.
lol Merica only cares now....not before when the Africans really needed help
US Debt trap? Also it's not a chinese railway problem if the africans don't do maintenance
It will take america 250 years and cost 500 trillion. Just forget about it.
10 derailments per year is better than what the U.S. has at home. So why does Angola want railways fixed by the U.S.????
But what about America's own railways?
America only talk no action .
If China could not have it done properly in 2 billion dollars, it is hard to believe that US could have it done in 1.7 billion dollars. There is something fishy there. Need dig more into it.
I watched for four seconds, realized the railway isn't in the united states, exhaled, and clicked out.
But taking minerals just makes Africa more poor
It is the west that was taking natural resources for about two centuries. Shipping the raw ore to their home countries and making them into products that are much more expensive that they market back to africa. they were practically taking africa's natural resources for free. The chinese companies there are establishoing the refining and manufacturing plants there that gives more added value to afric's natural resources. Like for copper, the chinese instead of taking the ores to China, they erected smelters and refineries in the african nations so they can sell their copper at a much more value.
@@rap3208 Sad that still not some ready products
American politicians need to put real money to where their mouth is. Biden needs to go back to check how much money left in his pocket after sending tons of money to Ukraine, Izreal 🤣🤣
TEAM CHINA NOW AND FOREVER ALL THE WAY!👍🙏🐲🐉🐼🇨🇳🙂❗️
Meanwhile, the United States remains blind in Latin America. Brazil and other countries are increasingly looking for Chinese investment in infrastructure and they simply ignore it.
Chinese Bots drinking Cope Soda realizing that China is spreading their engineering skills in Tofu Mad disaster skills...lol
*Wumaos are all over the comment section.*
If almost everybody are saying the same thing that is contrary to your comments, IT IS YOU.
@@rap3208 Let them sleep
Bumao spotted
China has a tendency to over-promise and under-deliver with respect to its initiatives. Other times, it also works in debt trap diplomacy that can be good for small countries in the short term and destabilizing in the long term.
Where's my rail network ... in THE US. NOT some African country. We suddenly have 1.7B to throw around to Africa, 50B to Ukr but not 5B for the US itself. 5B for the Wall Trump wanted but suddenly we got hundred of billions to throw around like they're quarters you find everywhere.
Alstom France in marocco, siemens germany in egypt, turkey china in tanzania, china in kenya.
If America hasn't done anything in the past for Afrika, what makes you think they will do anything now.
How can US help Angola while they can't build a single high speed railway in US. 😂
The working condition for cobalt excavation are terrible. I hope some of the US money will be directed to improving the condition.
20 years from now, there will probably be another video on how *this* iteration of the railway got run into the ground...
USA has huge problems with their infrastructures at home, how can they possibly solve Africa's problems while neglecting their own?
The project has no interest to people where the target minerals is coming from?? Will benefits Angola more than the Congo ?
From South Africa , SA 🇿🇦🇿🇦 , we will always thank Russia🇷🇺, China 🇨🇳, Cuba 🇨🇺 and much of Eastern world for supporting us against US and western sponsored white minority European settlers during apartheid in our country . China ,Russia and Cuba supported us with materials , wepons , finances so that today we can be free. MY point is that , we know our history and we know our real friends
The U.S. finally does something good, just to compete with China! This kind of competition is good!
That is the very first time ever since 250 years that mericans seem to BUILD instead of destroy something.
China has built actual railways, roads and ports. How many kilometres has the US built? Zero
China must not flood the market with cheap railways, we can’t exploit African any more 😂
Great. Now can we have some of that investment on our own rail infrastructure? Like in the Northeast Corridor?
A report about Angola, China's Belt and Road Initiative, US interests in Angola. The producers couns no find any Angolan and Chinese to interview? And then I realize it The Wall Street Journal which explains everything.
You can tell why the U.S. is interested in building a railway from the mineral rich Congo. Selfish interests.
Providing loans and competing with China, while 33 trillions in debt ..... 🤔 Is there anyone good in math , who can explain this to me ?